Friday, July 29, 2016

By NYN Daily

TOP NEWS

NYN Media Perspectives - The time to close Rikers Island is now: Glenn E. Martin, the founder and president of JustLeadershipUSA, writes that the #CloseRikers coalition’s current roster of 86 organizations represents thousands of New Yorkers and is very broad, including service providers, legal organizations, racial justice groups and civic and religious organizations. He argues that closing Rikers Island is only the first step in building the healthy communities all New Yorkers deserve.

Nursing home sues Schneiderman for blocking sale: A Harlem nursing home is suing the state attorney general for trying to block the sale of its building to the Rivington scandal-scarred developer at the heart of a probe involving City Hall, the New York Post reports. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman had at first approved the $32 million sale of the Greater Harlem Nursing Home on West 138th Street to The Allure Group in May.

NYC kicks in $4.6M effort opening seven additional mental health centers for pre-K kids and their families: The city is kicking off a fresh effort for added mental health services for city kids younger than six and their families, de Blasio administration officials said, according to the Daily News. Beginning in October, the city’s Early Childhood Mental Health Network will operate at seven new clinics across all five boroughs. Services available at the clinics will include short-term counseling and onsite mental health consultations.

Cuomo must keep his promise to the homeless: Without state-committed capital and operating subsidies, it is impossible to attract private investment for the acquisition of land and pre-development financing and the most likely outcome of the governor’s actions is that little or no new housing will be created, Stephen Levin, a New York City Council member and chairman of the Council’s Committee on General Welfare, and Andrew Hevesi, a New York state Assemblyman and chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Social Services, write in NY Slant.

A bogus fix for failed schools: Citing concerns even from advocates, the Post writes that a plan to replace low-performing schools in New York City and the rest of the state with community schools, while laudable in some respects, will not improve the quality of education.

Social-impact investing, where women look to make their mark: When advisers attend industry conferences, they can usually expect to be swimming in a sea of white males, given the demographics of the financial services sector, unless the conference focuses on social impact investing and the gender ratio reverses, OnWallStreet.com writes.

Rockefeller Fund takes first green stake in pivot from oil: The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the foundation divesting from the fossil-fuel industry it helped create, took its first direct stake in a renewable energy company in a move meant to bolster the fight against climate change, Bloomberg writes.

Grantee inclusion - What’s it all about?: Including grantees in decision-making, program-building, and strategy is critical to effective social impact, the Stanford Social Innovation Review writes. While the things grantmakers “do” are important, authentic inclusion also requires that they embrace a new mindset.

Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies awards annual college scholarships to 12 NY college students that have excelled under challenging circumstances:

The FPWA presented 12 New York college students with a $2,000 scholarship at the 2016 annual College Scholarship awards breakfast held at its headquarters in Manhattan on July 27. Recipients are college juniors and seniors who were selected for their individual abilities to excel despite challenging circumstances. These young adults are individuals who have been identified by FPWA’s member agencies and have demonstrated a commitment to furthering their education. They are Alexander Philip Torbov, Demetrius Johnson, Bibi Morium, Yuan Chen, Raymi Echavarria, Neha Basnet, Desire Nizigama, Alexus Murray, Jhoel Peguero, Xue Lin, Aderys Adames and Larissa Jimenez

Stonewall Community Foundation issues RFP for LGBTQ Safe Spaces:

The Stonewall Community Foundation issued a Request for Proposals for its 2016 Quarter Share Grant Cycle. Coordinated by the foundation, Stonewall Quarter Share is a network of young donors who, through organized philanthropy and volunteer service, support LGBTQ causes in New York City. Each year, SQS members award one or more grants to advance programming and services that directly benefit LGBTQ New Yorkers. This fall, a one-year general operating support grant of $12,500 will be awarded to an organization or project focused on the safety of marginalized LGBTQ communities.

Urban Resource Institute, a provider of domestic violence programs and services in New York City, has opened two new emergency domestic violence shelters. The Hope House and Restoration Residence shelters were launched by URI as part of an effort from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration to significantly increase the number of emergency housing options for victims of domestic violence. In addition to providing beds for families fleeing abuse, Hope House and Restoration Residence will also offer services to singles who require shelter, including members of the LGBT community, the elderly, and those suffering from mental illness. The opening of these residences marks the first time since 2010 that new domestic violence shelter beds have been added in New York City.

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Join the fun at the 15th Anniversary of “Camp Finance.” Hosted by NYCON on October 6th & 7th at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz NY, this is an incomparable two-day retreat experience for Executive Directors, Financial Staff, Board Members, Fundraisers, Marketing and Development Staff alike. Keynote Speakers include Vu Le, Nonprofit Humorist from nonprofitwithballs.com and Melanie Herman, Executive Director at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Information Online Now.

The CFO serves on the BCS Executive Staff, and is responsible for financial oversight for more than 30 programs and services across 25 BCS sites in Downtown Brooklyn, Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, East New York, Brownsville, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Canarsie and Coney Island. The CFO is also responsible for oversight of BCS facilities management, purchasing and information technology systems. As a member of Executive Staff, ensure effective leadership for all BCS programs and services. Inspire a culture of accountability and customer service at all levels of the organization. Implement and lead continuous quality improvement processes throughout BCS, and work to ensure that leadership and staff throughout BCS communicate effectively and collaboratively. Read more.

Senior VP of Family Foster Care, Saint Dominic’s Home

As a key member of the Management Team, the Senior Vice President of the Family Foster Care will assume responsibility for the supervision and coordination of several units in the Family Foster Care Department. These units may include Case Management, Home-finding, Adoption and/or Therapeutic units. He/She will provide overall administrative supervision to supervisors within the units to ensure that the department meets and exceeds the regulatory standards of all pertinent governmental bodies. He/she will work collaboratively with the Assistant Vice President of Family Foster Care to establish casework methods and determine standards and procedures based on sound social work principles, agency mission and all federal, state and city policies. Read more.

Director of Special Medical/Developmental Disabilities Foster Care, New Alternatives for Children

New Alternatives for Children, Inc. (NAC) is an award-winning health and social services agency in NYC with 30+ years of experience serving children with special medical needs and their families. We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Director of Special Medical/Developmental Disabilities Foster Care.Key Responsibilities include providing direct supervision to Special Medical/Developmental Disabilities/HIV Foster Care Department Supervisors and Case Associates and prepare timely evaluations of supervisees. Read more.

* A lawsuit filed on behalf of the disabled claims that Wi-Fi kiosks replacing pay phones throughout the city violate the federal American with Disabilities Act, as they lack audio cues and software for a blind person to use the devices independently, the Journal writes.

* Cuomo and Schneiderman, who have had a somewhat cool relationship with one another in the past, are joining forces in filing briefs against both the North Carolina and Texas over their laws and policies regarding transgender access to restrooms, the Times Union writes.

* Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in an address to the Democratic National Convention that Hillary Clinton understands what he and his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, learned firsthand in their home state of New York – the value of empowering all Americans, City & State reports.

* To have your event featured here send your top 1-2 photos, along with a one sentence caption and photo credit, to info@nynmedia.com with the subject line “Recent Galas and Events.” To see more events, check our events/community calendar here.

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NONPROFITS IN THE NEWS

Community space with hydroponic grow wall opening under Union Square Hyatt: The nonprofit behind the Union Square Greenmarket plans to open a new community space in the neighborhood to host events and classes on sustainability and nutrition, and provide a spot for other nonprofits in the city to gather near Union Square, GrowNYC Assistant Director Julie Walsh told DNAinfo.

NYC foster youth nonprofit turns funding crisis into opportunity: You Gotta Believe, a nonprofit that focuses on finding permanent homes for older foster youth, mainly ages 16 to 21, faced a severe financial shift in early 2015 after New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services ended the almost $700,000-per-year contract the city had with the organization for 13 years, writes the Chronicle of Social Change. You Gotta Believe turned to the influence of crowdfunding and private sector investment.

Will lawsuit, small boats sink dazzling ‘Diller Island’?: Earlier this month, an Appellate Division judicial panel issued a stop-work order on construction of the glitzy Pier55 project at W. 14th St., The Villager reports. Under a lease, a nonprofit, PIER55, Inc., would fund the new pier’s programming, operations and day-to-day maintenance of a floating park for 20 years, with an option to extend this another 10 years, bringing Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg’s total commitment to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Harlem nonprofit uses gymnastics to teach children that practice, hard work pays off: The Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation is celebrating its 20th year of providing a safe environment for children to learn gymnastics and general life skills and its sixth year doing it in Harlem, Patch writes. On Wednesday, Ronald McDonald Charities presented the foundation with a community grant of $7,500.

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NYN EVENTS

On Thursday, September 15th, New York Nonprofit Media will host the 2nd annual Nonprofit MarkCon which will bring together marketing and communications executives from nonprofits across New York to discuss how to build a brand. We expect over 200 nonprofit communications, marketing, PR and strategy executives to attend this event. Topics to include: brand transformation, social media, event planning, integrated marketing, data analytics and more. If you are looking to reach nonprofit executives please click here.

Submit your nomination for New York Nonprofit Media’s first Cause Awards 2016: Honoring individuals/agencies/philanthropists who’ve had a major impact on the top human services concerns of the New York nonprofit sector throughout 2016. If a colleague, client or employer has had a major impact on one of this year's top causes though good work or philanthropy, nominate them for this great honor today by clicking here. The opportunity to submit your nominations will officially close Friday, September 16th at 6:00 pm.

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SECTOR FOCUS: Culture

Culinary showcase to benefit Syracuse-area charities: A popular fundraiser featuring some delicious food is set for July 31 to help multiple non-profit organizations, Time Warner Cable reports. Tickets are available for the 5th annual Philanthropic Foodies showcase taking place this Sunday in downtown Syracuse, an event has helped raise more than $160,000 in the last four years for some special charities.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts brings Theatre Development Fund’s TKTS to David Rubenstein Atrium for a three-month residency: Lincoln Center announced the opening of a three-month pop-up TKTS residency at the David Rubenstein Atrium’s Zucker Box Office starting Aug. 2 at 12:00 pm. The partnership with Theatre Development Fund, the nonprofit service organization for the performing arts which operates the TKTS Discount Booths, will give more New Yorkers the opportunity to purchase discount tickets, and to have access to the range of performing arts available in New York.

8 p.m. - New York City Public Advocate Letitia James delivers remarks at the New York City Correction Guardians Association annual scholarship awards dinner dance, Green Tree Country Club, 538 Davenport Ave., New Rochelle.